World’s Most Expensive Painting By Leonardo Da Vinci ‘Goes Missing’

The world’s most expensive painting which hasn’t been seen in public since it was ‘acquired’ by Louvre Abu Dhabi via the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, has sparked off a growing concern over its whereabouts.

Professor Martin Kemp, the Da Vinci scholar who helped authenticate the piece a decade ago, told The Times:

‘Nobody outside the immediate Arab hierarchy knows where it is.’

Daily Mail reported that in 2005, the painting was acquired for less than $10,000 (£7,809) at an auction in New Orleans by a consortium of art dealers that included Robert Simon, a specialist in Old Masters.

However when Professor Kemp was asked where the 500-year-old painting might be, he rather worryingly responded:

‘I have no idea. The mystery of its location is, of course, disturbing.’